Lebanon’s PM designate Nawaf Salam calls for ‘new chapter rooted in justice’

‘Hands extended to everyone,’ Salam says in maiden speech from Presidential Palace

Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam has called for a new chapter in the country "rooted in justice, security, progress and opportunities" in his maiden speech.

However, Mr Salam gave up his position as president of the International Court of Justice and arrived in Beirut on Tuesday morning, a day after being chosen by Parliament to head Lebanon's next government.

His appointment, after the election of Mr Aoun last week, has been met with joy in many parts of the country, with people celebrating in Martyrs' Square in Beirut on Monday night.

Both Mr Salam and Mr Aoun are being looked upon as beacons of hope who can deliver real change after Lebanon's myriad crises.

However, selecting a cabinet will be a challenging task for Mr Salam, like other prime ministers before him. The process can take many days, weeks or even months as parliament's many parties vie for representation at the ministerial level.

According to the Lebanese constitution, the cabinet must consider the country's array of religious sects. Hezbollah, although diminished by Israel's war on Lebanon and unable to get its favoured candidates into the posts of president or prime minister, remains powerful. Its parliamentary leader, Mohammad Raad, warned on Monday that the new government must take into account Lebanon's multi-confessional diversity.

Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, did not support Mr Salam’s nomination, withholding their backing for any candidate. Together, the two blocs hold all the parliamentary seats reserved for Shiites.

Although Mr Salam’s selection is constitutionally sound, the absence of support from any Shiite MP leaves the new government vulnerable to accusations of breaching Lebanon’s National Pact, a power-sharing arrangement that aims to ensure inclusivity and safeguard the rights of the country’s diverse religious sects.

Lebanon's new leaders must also oversee the implementation of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. The initial 60-day truce period of that agreement comes to an end late this month.

Mr Salam's appointment has been welcomed by the international community but it is unclear how US president-elect Donald Trump may respond to his appointment.

As president of the International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, Mr Salam criticised Israel for its actions in Gaza. Last year, under his leadership, the ICJ held its first hearing on a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide in the Palestinian territory – a claim Israel dismissed as baseless. Mr Trump is a staunch supporter of Israel.

Hezbollah senior MP Mohamad Raad, centre, with members of parliament at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut. EPA

Opposition MPs rally round Mr Salam

Mr Salam is seen as a newcomer and a break from the traditional political system. His nomination could bring the country relief after Israel's war on Lebanon in which 4,000 people were killed, more than 16,000 wounded and destruction totalling billions of dollars caused.

To ensure Mr Salam reached the premiership, "Change" MPs – lawmakers who emerged after the October 2019 protests against Lebanon's ruling elite – held meetings on Sunday evening to consolidate support behind a single candidate, aiming to challenge the traditional political establishment.

What eventually transpired on Monday would have seemed extremely difficult to achieve even two days earlier.

A group of 31 MPs, comprising members of the Lebanese Forces, parliament’s largest party, Kataeb and a number of independents, announced on Saturday that they would back one of their own - Fouad Makhzoumi.

The “Change” bloc of MPs initially wanted one of their own: Ibrahim Mneimeh.

But there was a problem; even if the two blocs were able to converge on either name - having frequently agreed on other parliamentary matters previously - it would likely not be enough to win. The message coming from two key parties who had not formally declared their position - the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the Druze Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) - was that neither name was acceptable to them.

“We needed support from the FPM, the PSP and the Sunni blocs, as the PM candidate needs Sunni support,” a Kataeb source told The National.

It is understood that Mr Makhzoumi withdrew from the race when he realised it would be difficult to win the FPM and PSP round.

"It was an honour to receive the support of opposition MPs," Mr Makhzoumi said upon withdrawing, emphasising the importance of unity among opposition forces.

“We had to go for an option that we thought could create a new momentum and drastically increase the winning chances, even though it’s not one of our members,” said a senior LF source.

“This is where Nawaf Salam came from,” the source added, pointing out that it was not the first time his name had been mentioned.

Both Kataeb and LF were keen to stress that Mr Salam was not a name that had come out of nowhere and that they had voiced support for him in previous years.

The move by the "Change" MPs and other opposition groups was intended to present a unified front against figures associated with Lebanon's long-standing political system, such as the outgoing prime minister Najib Mikati.

The Kataeb source said “the main objective was to beat Mikati”.

The LF source said they consulted with other groups like the FPM and PSP and discovered that “if we go with somebody who is independent enough, we have a really serious chance of winning”.

By rallying behind Mr Salam, "Change" and opposition MPs sought to increase the likelihood of his appointment and signal a shift towards reform and new leadership in Lebanon.

Negotiations over the choice of prime minister went on until 3am on Monday morning, the LF source said.

“Some blocs waited until the last minute to endorse Mr Salam,” independent MP Michel Douaihy told The National. “They chose to back him after seeing the momentum building in his favour and recognising he was securing significant support. We believe he is, at this moment, the right candidate to address and work on the key issues highlighted in the president’s inaugural address."

Mr Salam ended up securing the support of 84 out of 128 lawmakers, highlighting a shift in Lebanon's political dynamics.

“At this stage, it’s very important that we all unite around the President’s inaugural speech,” said Mr Douaihy. “The time will come later for us to compete as political parties and blocs on issues related to politics, economics and social priorities. For now, unity is essential.”